WhatsApp may soon show ads

Yes, folks, your favourite ad-free messaging experience might soon come to a stifling end. Whatsapp is apparently getting advertisements and as a matter of (apparent) fact, it might already be working to deliver ads to the iOS version of the app.

In case you haven’t been a frequent user of the messaging platform, Whatsapp has always been free of ads, as it offers end-to-end encryption for free of charge. But as you can tell from the paragraphs above, this might all be set to change.

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Don’t just hear it from us though; hear it from this tweet by WABetaInfo.

Image: WABetaInfo Twitter

Though to be fair, everything’s still just hearsay. Or at least until WhatsApp itself releases an official statement, of course.

But if you’ve been following WABetaInfo Twitter, you’ll know that it’s bad news because they’re often the guys who came with rumours and then ta-da: reality strikes.

WhatsApp Founders Leaving Facebook

In case you’re not aware, WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.

At the beginning of 2018, Jan Koum had announced his intention of leaving WhatsApp and quitting the Facebook board of directors because of one reason:

The data privacy issue.

Image: Tenor

And he wasn’t alone. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton left the social media giant last year, following the “It is time. #deletefacebook” tweet. This was in reaction to the Cambridge Analytica controversy.

So as you can kind of tell, there are people rebelling against this farce.

All hope is not lost.

Image: Zimbio

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WhatsApp just Started to Earn Money on August 2018

About two months ago, WhatsApp finally monetize its service by charging business users for messages – you know, those messages you receive when a parcel is on the way by the courier?

Yah, since 1 August 2018, the businesses that send you those messages would need to pay $0.005 to $0.09, depending on the country.

Well, if this ad thingy really occurs, then I guess they’re serious about making money from WhatsApp.

Privacy

But don’t be taken aback just yet, because there’s actually way more at stake right now than just crude advertisements being stuffed up your nose.

Privacy.

Previously, WhatsApp has expressed that it cannot actually access your data because of a promised end-to-end encryption for all users.

But if simple logic was to be called into play, playing ads will actually require WhatsApp to access the data (so that ads can be targeted). After all, consumer data is necessary to ensure that ads are practically relevant.

Although to be fair, they could always harvest data from Facebook, but that’s only if a connected Facebook account’s involved in the equation. And as everyone will probably attest, that’s probably not happening.

Which means one thing.

The government might actually, actually get access to your ‘dirty’ pics.

Oh, the horror.

Image: Giphy

However, do remember: these are rumours. But how many times have rumours about WhatsApp come truth?

You decide yourself.

Hello, WeChat. Here I come.

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